I swing the key around on the end of my index finger, smiling at the adorable look she has painted across her face. “Well, it’s weird that they took a mortgage payment from my bank account last week, in that case.”
“Why did you buy a house in Wells Canyon when you already have a place to live at the ranch? Plus, like…endless space to build a house there, if you wanted.”
I drag my hand along the live-edge wood mantel. “I bought it because it’s close to your parents—so you can still help out with your mom whenever you need—and you didn’t shut up about how cute it was when we were younger, and I was also kind of hoping thateventuallywe might want to live together.”
“So you bought it…” Her voice trails off, her eyes flitting around the room, taking it in with a new appreciation.
“For you. Yeah, I did. I actually stopped in here to talk to Mrs. Weaver the same day I came over for dinner with your mom. Completely unsolicited, too. She’s an old softie, and ate up our entire love story like I was giving her a live reading ofThe Notebook. Turns out, she was already debating putting it on the market before winter, so it was meant to be.”
“Do you know how ridiculous it is that you bought a house for us to live in before we even went on a date?”
Ridiculous?Maybe.But the way she’s admiring the room with a hopeful glimmer makes me think it was the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
“I figured it would either turn out to be the most romantic thing I could possibly do,orit would be a great business decision. Even if we didn’t work out, eventually you’d get tired of living with your parents and discover that your dream home is available for rent. Either way, I figured my mom would approve of me using my inheritance from her as a down payment.”
Looking around the empty room, she nods softly, traversing the hardwood floor until she’s in my arms. Her warm lips find mine immediately, and her hands wander over my torso. We sway to the music of our combined heartbeats until she tosses her crutches aside, relying solely on me for support. The simplest gesture means so much. And I hold her close, reassuring her I’ll never drop her—not again. I’ll be the man she can count on through thick or thin.
“So, is this place available for rent?” she asks with a teasing lilt. Hands clasped behind my neck, her mind’s clearly running a million miles a minute as she thinks about what this all means, until she blurts out, “We might need some furniture in here.”
“The thing is, I used my meager inheritance and basically every penny of my savings for the down payment.But,I got the next best thing. Hold on.”
I run to the master bedroom closet on the opposite side of the main floor, returning a minute or so later armed with all of the makings of a top-tier floor bed. Her laughter fills the room, making this place feel more like home by the second.
We kneel together on the hard floor, setting up layer upon layer of thick blankets and pillows until it’s a bed fit for a princess. And Blair flings herself backward in the middle of it, a radiant smile stretched across her freckled face.
“You’re the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” I admit. My cheeks are aching from how much I’ve been smiling since we walked into the house, but I can’t fucking stop.
When my mom died, the house I grew up in didn’t feel like a home to me anymore. And when Blair and I broke up, that became even more evident. It was cold, and lonely, and I suddenly couldn’t stand being in a place with so many memories that had since been tainted by my own melancholy.
But this is a place to make new memories with her. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
Staring up at the ceiling, she asks, “How the hell did you keep this a secret in such a tiny town? Even when I lived in Vancouver, I knew everything that happened around here.”
“Oh, everybody knows. I will say, Mrs. Weaver has a damn good poker face. She kept telling people it was an out-of-towner who bought it, but word got out eventually. They all just know not to tell you.”
“This might be your best trick yet, Wells.” She pats the blankets with a small smile. “Come snuggle.”
“Let me do one more quick thing for you.”
After setting up a dozen or more candles, I shut off the bright overhead light and practically collapse next to her.
She nuzzles against me like she’s seeking warmth, and yawns into the crook of my neck. Candlelight flickers across us, and I kiss her temple.
“You’re sure you want to leave the ranch?”
I chuckle. “Be pretty silly for me to buy a house in town without considering that, wouldn’t it? It’s more important to me that your mom’s nearby.”
That’s never been more true than in the last week since Blair’s horseback riding accident. Spending so much time around the Hart family’s home has shown me what she goes through with her mom—from the extravagant safety measures to the general caretaking Blair does for her. Living in close proximity doesn’t just mean Blair’s close by in case of an emergency; this house allows her to pop over and style her mom’s hair, or help her find things she’s misplaced, or any number of little tasks to help out.
“It’ll be so nice to have some distance from my parents but also be close by when they need me. Mom’s only going to need more and more help as time goes on. And eventually we’ll put her into a care facility, but I know both of my parents want her to be home for as long as possible. That really only works with all of us helping.”
“Count me in. I want to help,” I say.
“I love you.” Her fingers tug lightly on my hair, pulling me into a kiss. “I don’t know what I did to deserve somebody as incredible as you. I hate that I lost you all those years ago because I wouldn’t hear you out.”
“Bear, I told you I forgive you. We’re here now, and that’s all I care about.”
She tilts her head to look up at me. “If we were in that situation now, I’d make a different choice, so you know.”
